Heartbeats invites you to step off of the well-worn tourist paths and enjoy rare access to the nuances, contradictions, and complexities that make up the State of Israel. This fascinating anthology is penned and compiled by Israeli expert tour educators who each share their experience of Israel through their own personal lens, background, and vantage point. Reading this book before, during, and after your journey to Israel will give you an exciting opportunity to delve deeper, not just into the country but into yourselves. We hope that this guide will serve as a map through which your curiosity will be able to run free and will enable you to experience and appreciate the diverse fabric of Israeli society.
Ya’acov Fried became a resident of Jaffa in the last decade, after being a Jerusalemite all his life. A graduate of Hebrew University, Ya’acov devoted his career to informal Jewish education in the following roles: educational officer in the IDF (reserves), director of Melitz Institute in Jerusalem (a seminar center for Israeli Jewish identity), senior analyst at the Van Leer Institute (leading Israeli thinktank), community shliach (emissary) in the Midwest. Ya’acov’s immersion in the North American Jewish community – together with his involvement in the world of culture, art, music, and consciousness studies in Israel and around the world – inspired him to become a pioneer in Jewish educational travel. Ya’acov founded Da’at Educational Expeditions, a pioneering educational travel company which creates Jewish educational journeys for north American clientele to Israel and to other destinations. With the creation of Da’at, Ya’acov has led the revolution in transforming the classic touring style to a multifaceted journey. Ya’acov is involved in a variety of voluntary roles in nonprofit organizations that are attempting to impact Israel to be a society of social justice. He is a father of two, and a grandfather of four and a half. Ya’acov has partnered with Gilad Peled and Yishay Shavit to create this book.
Gilad Peled grew up on a kibbutz and served for four years as a combat officer in the IDF. Gilad’s home taught him that education is the best way to shape our future, which is why he has invested the last thirty years working in informal education. Since 1998, Gilad has been traveling around Israel with a wide range of groups. As a licensed tour guide, he’s been teaching about the country. As a tour educator, he’s explored personal experiences. Specializing in Holocaust education, Gilad has worked as a guide for Yad Vashem and leads groups on tours to Jewish Eastern Europe. For the past ten years, Gilad has worked with Jewish communities from around the world. For five years, he lived with his family in Rome, Italy, where he worked as an Israeli emissary with the Jewish community. Gilad holds a bachelor’s degree in archaeology and Jewish thought from the Hebrew University, and a master’s degree in Jewish history from the University of Haifa. Gilad is married to Inbar and is a father of two.
Yishay Shavit was born on a kibbutz in the northern part of Israel. In 2000, he moved to Jerusalem, fell in love with the city, and hasn’t looked back. Yishay, a history and hiking lover, was first introduced to the world of guiding at the age of fifteen, in his youth movement. After high school, he served in a tank unit of the IDF for three years. Yishay holds a bachelor’s degree in history, focusing on Indian Jewry and contemporary Jewry. Yishay is a political and social activist who is devoted to making Israel an equal and just society for all. When not guiding, he enjoys spending time with his wife Noa and their two sons, Yotam and Assaf.
